I don't
want to discourage you, but most people think they can afford a
Lotus when they really can't. A Lotus usually requires one of two
(usually both) very important expenditures from its owner: 1) deep
pockets to take it to the dealer to feed it its periodic diet of
extremely expensive parts and service; 2) patience and dedication
(along with a certain degree of mechanical skill) to do the repairs
and/or maintenance yourself. Both of these demand that you have a
certain level of passion for the marque. Most people simply wouldn't put
up with the hassle. There-in lies the problem. It's a vicious circle
that's perpetuated by people who lack the Lotus passion (or as I call it
- disease).

So you wonder why you see
some of these cars for sale for so cheap? Here's part of the reason that
happens:

1) Many people buy the
car because they like how it looks and are surprised at how
"affordable" they are compared to other exotics. "Wow! a 1987 Lotus
Esprit for only $15,000US!"

2) They show it off to
their friends, take it on a few dates, and generally have a good time
with it for a while.

3) Disappointment sets
in when they realize that:

a) they can't always
rely on the car as their only vehicle because it is impractical for
carrying anything but the most minimal amount of groceries.
b) British reliability (electrical gremlins, engine fires, roof
leaks, etc.) means the car may be out of commission for a while or
permanently.
c) Parts, unlike in other British sportscars, are in limited supply
and cost an exorbitant amount of cash.
d) Accessibility to various engine components involves dismantling
of 20 unrelated components that just happen to be in the way.
e) The nearest dealer is over 100 miles away.
f) People at the parts counter ask stupid questions like "Lotus? Who
makes that?"

4) When something breaks, they don't have the money, time or passion
to fix the car themselves or get it fixed by the proper repair
facility.

5) They let the car sit
while they save up for parts or tend to "more important" things.

6) They buy another car
to get them to and from work and the supermarket.

7) Friends, spouses,
fiancées and others make fun about how the Lotus never runs or how
often things appear to go wrong.

8) One day they decide
to make a cheap "makeshift" repairs just to get the car going again
instead of repairing it properly. This is the stage where they start
evolving into the PO (previous owner) or DPO (dreaded previous owner)
that we like to use as the scapegoat on the Lotus List for much of
what ails our cars.

9) The cheap repair
causes something else, seemingly unrelated, to break or makes the car
more unreliable. Or, heck, maybe something else breaks on its own,
totally unprovoked. Perhaps simply by virtue that it has the words "Pektron
Inverter" or "Lucas" on the side of the part.

10) After much
disappointment that the car isn't as reliable or takes much more
maintenance than a Camry, they sell the car at a loss.

11) This major
depreciation affects many things. People get the perceptions the cars
are junk, because the only examples they are commonly exposed to have
been ill-maintained. This lowers the market value. Toss in the SUV
market frenzy to the mix and prices plummet further.

12) You buy the car and
start wondering why the heck there's a wiring harness held together
with twisty-ties that say "Hefty" on them and the tailpipe is
suspended by a coat hanger.

If you don't believe any
of this is true, ask anyone on the Lotus List the story about the "Curse
of Chuque"!

Most of the uninitiated
public thinks that all Esprits must be over $100,000US. After all, they
are exotic supercars just like Ferraris and Lamborghinis and everybody
knows how expensive those are. Frankly, I kind of like the fact that
people think this. Not because of any kind of bragging rights or status
thing, but because it keeps a great number of people without the Lotus
passion from buying the cars because they assume they're too expensive.
My take is that those who really do have the passion will have enough
motivation to do a little research and discover the truth: a Lotus may
be inexpensive, but it ain't cheap! But, because they are infected with
the Lotus virus, it all seems worthwhile...

This is why the greatest
Lotus slogan is:

"Lotus, For the few
who know the difference..."

Finally, if you think
your 1988 Mustang's parts are expensive, you're not ready for the shock
of Esprit parts. For example:

Wheel lug bolts

$17 each

Suspension bushings

$19 to $50 each

Spark plugs

$27 each

Small window decals

$80 each

Throttle Position
Sensor

$150

Clutch Disc

$200

Pressure plate

$200

Set of brake pads (1
axle)

$225

Steering wheel

$700

Alloy wheels

$750 each

Non-assisted
steering rack

$800

Flywheel

$1,500

ECM

$2,000

Esprit (Renault)
gearbox

$16,000

910 (4-cyl turbo)
Engine

$42,000

I'm sure there are many
more expensive, ridiculously priced parts as well. These are the only
ones I can recall off the top of my head. Parts prices add up quickly
because these parts are more fragile than on other cars. These parts are
designed for high performance, not reliability.

The question of
reliability has always been an issue and concern with Lotus cars.
Lotuses have a definite personality flaw. They retaliate if they see you
drive off in a non-Lotus. Drive them regularly and pay close
attention to maintenance, and you will be rewarded by a contented pal!

If a car sits a lot, the
electrical push-connectors, contacts in relays, and commutators start to
corrode and things mysteriously stop working. Oil seals dry out and take
a set... and leak. Carb gaskets, diaphragms and soft mount o-rings dry
out and develop leaks. Piston rings and cylinder walls rust. Engine
bearings pit and wheel bearings Brinell.

Driving the car regularly
will minimize all that. "IF" you end up wearing something out, at least
you enjoyed doing it. Replace it and keep going. If the car sits and
develops problems, there's no joy in it. It's just frustrating.

If you limit the miles
you drive a Lotus out of fear that you might be stranded when it quits,
you are contributing to the very conditions that will probably cause it
to quit... a self fulfilling prophecy.

Drive it regularly and
keep up to date with regular maintenance, and the car will defy it's
critics.

Think about it. If a
Lotus is underdeveloped, it's in the boring little side-issue areas that
are affected by neglect, poor maintenance, and lack of use. Contacts are
not gold plated. Electronics are not hermetically sealed. Chatzky parts
are pretty ordinary in specification.

Motion is Lotus' schtick.
Every finely tuned, leading edge advantage a Lotus has is engineered for
motion. Use it or lose it.

The first question you really need to ask yourself when looking at
increasing the Esprit's horsepower is "Why?". You need to examine your
motives. If you're simply looking to fulfill some testosterone-driven
ego trip, forget about it. The Esprit has plenty of horsepower -
much more than the average driver can handle on the street. All the
horsepower in the world won't fully compensate for lack of driver skill.
The best performance upgrade you can invest in is to attend one of the
many fine driving/racing schools throughout the world. Compared to other
upgrades, it is a cheap investment, and it has the benefit that it's one
that easily transfers to any car you happen to be driving.

If you are racing or auto-crossing your Esprit, there are upgrades you
can do varying from free-flow exhausts, straight pipes, new air filters,
larger turbos, blow-off valves, larger intake valves, larger brakes,
different suspension setups, Larger wheels, better tires, etc. If you
decide to go with any of these approaches, remember that upgrades need
to be looked at as part of a complete system. Improvements in one area
will necessitate improvements in others.

Also, remember that there are limits to the amount of horsepower you can
safely and reliably add to the Esprit. For example, if you decide to
increase boost on a 4-cylinder Esprit beyond 1.2 bar, you're likely
going to blow up your engine. Additionally, it is widely recognized that
the Renault-sourced gearbox in the Esprit is one of its weakest links.
If you exceed 400hp, you can easily destroy the box or split one of the
output shafts.

Esprit Do's and Don'ts

Upon the request of another list member, Dave Hsu was
kind of enough to suggest a list of Do's and Don'ts for Esprit
ownership. Although some are Esprit V8 specific, many are good advice
regardless of what model of Esprit you own:

Don't abuse
your drivetrain by doing burnouts, hole-shots, nor by rushing the 1-2
shift. This is the price you must pay for owning a car whose engine
output has evolved beyond the rest of the drivetrain.

Don't skimp on
maintenance. If something needs fixing, fix it now and fix it right.
Use the best parts and supplies, and use the best mechanic you can
find, even if you have to do it yourself. Remember, if you're buying a
4 year old or older car, plan on changing every fluid in the car
(except the A/C Freon and maybe the power steering fluid) unless you
know it's fresh.

Do learn as
much as possible about the Esprit, and about Lotus. Start by reading
everything in the excellent Esprit Fact File (which you are now
reading) at: http://www.espritfactfile.com (ed. Thanks for the plug,
Dave).

Do drive your
car regularly. Not only does regular use help keep the car in top
mechanical condition, but it gives passersby an opportunity to see of
the rarest exotic sportscars, and you an opportunity to answer their
questions. We need all the serious Lotus enthusiasts we can get. A
Lotus sitting in the garage is an invisible Lotus, and a marque whose
products are invisible is a marque which is quickly forgotten. Read
the Joe Martz' "Personal Code of Conduct as
an Owner of an Exotic Automobile".

Do have your
timing belt checked frequently. Lotus will provide a tension
adjustment every 1 year or 10k miles, but if you drive your car with
particular vigor, you should consider paying for extra in- between
inspections and adjustments.

Do pay
attention to what your car tells you. Listen and feel. Lotus
consistently builds the most tactile and visceral road cars in the
world, and you must develop the automotive equivalent of body
awareness. Nothing is hidden from you. If something feels strange, it
probably is.

Do anything
possible to improve your driving. For many owners, this will probably
the be the first, if not the only, car you own in your lifetime that
has no glaring performance inadequacies out of the box, and that you
cannot easily improve by buying fancier parts. Those of us who are
spending a fortune on upgrades are doing so for incremental
improvements and vanity. Only a few, are able to come close to fully
and consistently exploiting the car's potential, and still want more.
You can, however, buy better training, and should budget accordingly.

Do have your
dealer perform the factory ECU upgrade if you're not running the
latest firmware and maps. Previous advice notwithstanding. The expense
is modest (<$500) and provides the biggest mechanical improvement per
dollar you can buy for a '97 or '98 V8.